Our aim is to encourage the women of Ladakh to show their abilities and
skills, particularly in the more remote areas. Through homestays we give
the women in the villages a chance to meet new people and new cultures. You in turn can learn from them.

A homestay means that
you are staying in a real Ladakhi home in the villages you pass on your
journey. These homes are always run by the women, while the men are out
earning the family’s income. By using the homestay system, we help the
women to achieve the same status as the men. It also encourages people to remain in their villages instead of seeking employment in the
cities. Homestays are also the most eco-friendly way to discover Ladakh
as the system puts a lot less pressure on natural resources, since the
need for ponies and donkeys is not as great. Ponies and donkeys are
necessary if you are camping and cooking out, but they tend to eat the
limited grass available, depriving local wildlife and domestic
animals of their food supply.

In addition to helping women by means of homestays, our agency employs
only women for organizing and
running our treks, a policy which serves as a unique example to all women in Ladakh
and we are as yet the only agency using only female guides. We
believe in providing quality and good service. Our most senior guide and
founder is
one of the few Ladakhis to complete a comprehensive course in
wilderness skills and leadership at the National Outdoor Leadership
School,
and an advanced mountaineering course at the
HimalayanMountaineering
Institute
in Darjeeling.

As well as helping women in the villages, we
also aim to support the preservation of Ladakhi culture. Our guides are
highly knowledgeable about the places you visit and history behind them,
and are more than happy to tell you about the real Ladakh. When using the
homestay system you will get a closer look at the traditional Ladakhi way
of life in a way you could never experience in a guesthouse. If you wish,
you may even get the chance to try working with Ladakhis in
the fields and in their homes. While trekking, you will of course
observe the local Ladakhi flora and fauna, which our guides are always
willing to tell you about.

Find out more online about Ladakhi Women's
Travel Company and Thinlas: